Colgate spent years developing a new way to prevent cavities, by neutralizing sugar acids before they even get the chance to attack teeth. It’s the biggest advance in cavity-fighting since fluoride 50 years ago. But there is a common misconception that only sweets and junk foods cause cavities. Our insight was that most people do not realize that the biggest sources of sugar in our diets come from everyday foods like breads, fruits, sauces, and juice. Our objective was to educate shoppers on this hidden threat of cavities from the sugars that are hidden in their everyday foods.

In partnership with retail, creative, digital and media agency teams, Colgate India initiated a partnership with a local retailer, in select locations, to modify their receipt design using software that combined their POS scanning technology with a database of sugar content in popular foods. The sugar content was printed next to items on the receipt, along with an immediately redeemable discount coupon whose value was linked to the total level of sugar content per shopping basket. Using the receipt as a medium allowed us to create a customized interaction with a message that encouraged immediate purchase.

In partnership with retail, creative, digital and media agency teams, Colgate India initiated a partnership with a local retailer, in select locations, to modify their receipt design using software that combined their POS scanning technology with a database of sugar content in popular foods. The sugar content was printed next to items on the receipt, along with an immediately redeemable discount coupon whose value was linked to the total level of sugar content per shopping basket. Using the receipt as a medium allowed us to create a customized interaction with a message that encouraged immediate purchase.

Colgate is already a well known brand in India, and we are targeting primary grocery shoppers (both men and women) who think all toothpastes prevent cavities equally well. Our strategy was to target these shoppers in-store, at the moment of purchase, when their food choices were most top of mind. We used this moment to reveal the amount of hidden sugar in the foods in their shopping basket, by transforming the store register receipt – a vehicle that is often overlooked – into a medium that both educated, and provided an immediate incentive for trial.